stave

stave Definition

stave (stāv)

noun

1. any of the thin, shaped strips of wood or metal, set edge to edge to form or strengthen the wall of a barrel, bucket, etc.
2. any similar slat, bar, rung, stay, etc.
a stick or staff
a set of verses, or lines, of a song or poem; stanza
Music staff (sense )

Etymology: ME, taken as sing. of staves, pl. of staf, staff

transitive verb staved or stove, stav′·ing

1. to puncture or smash, esp. by breaking in a stave or staves
2. to beat as with a staff
to furnish with staves

intransitive verb

to be or become stove in, as a boat; break up or in

stave Idioms

stave in

to break or crush inward

stave off

to ward off, hold off, or put off, as by force, guile, etc.

stave Synonyms

stave Usage Examples

Object

notation: It contains 15 well known tunes written in single stave notation with chord symbols.
church: Saint Olaf English church 1897 holds Anglican services every Sunday in Summer; modeled on a stave church but very light.

Converse of object

rule: Music copied on f. 100v only; unused ruled staves on the remaining pages.
carry: They often carry staves or similar and carry sprays which they direct at the hounds in order to disrupt their sense of smell.
make: Verses 6, 7. " And thou shalt make staves for the altar, staves of shittim wood, and overlay THEM with brass.
use: Once a year, on November the 5th, they use staves to turn the stone over to protect the village.

Adjective modifier

wooden: No windows were glazed, but were openings protected by wooden staves morticed into the frames above and below.
own: The casks are made with our own staves, which we import from the US and naturally air dry for two years.

Modifying Another Word

n't: Having marked up your script you ca n't stave things off any longer; you have to start learning it.

Followed by an intransitive particle

Followed by a transitive particle

off: Words do not stave off the world, they are the world; how we make the world.

Particle object:

boredom: They need ad lib good quality hay, both to keep their digestive system healthy and to stave off boredom.
relegation: The Amateurs now have to dig deep for their final fixture in order to stave off relegation.
pang: Cold drinks were served; some bread and cheese produced to stave off the pangs of hunger whilst the meal was being prepared.
starvation: What worries even those who support the war is the humanitarian need for food to stave off starvation throughout the winter.
hunger: To stave off hunger, you may want to pack yourself a little snack.
bankruptcy: Many businesses were forced to reopen, to stave off bankruptcy.

Preposition: of

Noun used with modifier

barrel: Many barrel staves were excavated, possibly the remains of a cargo or supplies for the crew.
oak: It was formed of oak cask staves, tightly bound with hoops of hazel.

Browse dictionary entries near stave